Josh Gordon is (almost) Back, Should You Care?

Let’s not forget the kid is only 25, this isn’t Ray Rice at 30 here. The last time Gordon suited up for an entire season, he went for 1,646 and 9 TDs – on 87 catches for us PPR junkies (and if you aren’t playing PPR, GTFO). That would have ranked him third in yards, T14 in TDs, and T12 in RECs if he put those numbers up in 2015.

Kid can (hopefully) still do things like this…

Listen, I know about the suspension, I promise no one forgot. Being suspended is bad for fantasy owners, but when you come back and your main competition for targets are Corey Coleman, Andrew Hawkins, and Terrelle Pryor, clearly that is good for fantasy owners.

I’m not saying draft him in the first round, I’m not even suggesting to draft him in the 5th round (his current ADP is WR38), but once you start debating between Rueben Randle and Rishard Matthews, pull the trigger on my boy J Flash instead. If your squad can’t spare one roster spot for a couple of weeks, your 2016 season is going to be a long one anyway. GMs who play it safe make the playoffs, GMs who swing for the fences and connect, win championships. If I’m wrong, fuck me, drop him mid-season and scoop up the current flavor of the week, but if I’m right and you can insert a must start receiver into your lineup midway through the season – take a second, close your eyes, and envision fantasy glory – because that my friends is how you spell CHAMPIONSHIP.

Bottom Line: Pass-catching specialist, who? Christian McCaffrey returned to his college workhorse roots under new OC Norv Turner, and quickly put up Fantasy MVP-worthy numbers. He continued to flash his otherworldly receiving abilities, hauling in an NFL record 106 catches for 875 yards and 6 TDs. Yet where the usage really rose was the carries, as McCaffrey nearly doubled his 2017 total for 215 carries, 1080 yards, and 7 scores. These 321 total touches ranked third behind only Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley, and this newfound volume created the ultimate ceiling / floor combination. In the process, McCaffrey flashed both the elusiveness, breakaway ability, and most shockingly underrated power to redefine the workhorse model.

​New OC Norv Turner deserves immense credit for this outburst. His previous work with LaDanian Tomlinson proved he wasn't afraid to ride a smaller-back, as he's able to scheme his guys in space and in creative outside gaps versus just blasting them up the gut... but even still, never before had an NFL back played nearly 97% of the team's snaps. Yes, this number inevitably will fall in 2019, but McCaffrey should still hover around 85-90%, especially with Turner returning. Expect a similar buffet of weekly volume with the upside for even more efficiency should the Panthers beef up their line while their explosive young wideouts take a next step forward.

Ceiling Projection: 320 touches (100 rec.), 2,000 Tot. Yds, 13 TDs

Floor Projection*: 270 touches (70 rec.), 1600 Tot. Yds, 7 TDs

Actual Projection: 310 touches (90 rec), 1900 Tot. Yds, 12 TDs

*Note - Floors are done without injuries in mind. Of course the lowest floor is torn ACL first play of scrimmage. This assumes 16 games